Jefferson Davis Community Hospital, Walthall General Hospital, and Marion General Hospital have all completed drills to help prepare their staff to respond appropriately in situations involving an active shooter.

“It definitely reiterated to me the importance of training and the importance of doing a live simulation so that our employees can think through their responses. We do lots of education, both in person and online, about active shooters, but I think this exercise was very effective for our team. I also want to thank our local law enforcement and all of the agencies and officials who helped with this simulation,” said Alaina Cedillo, administrator, Jefferson Davis Community Hospital and Marion General Hospital.

“The WGH active shooter drill was an effort involving Walthall General Hospital, Billdora Nursing Home, DiversiCare Nursing Home, Walthall County Sheriff’s Department, and Tylertown Police Department showed the community’s commitment to safer environments and care. The value of coordination between first responder agency feedback provides us with additional knowledge that might have been overlooked without outside perspectives. The drill provided a substantial amount of education to employees on how to respond in the event of an active shooter. I am proud of the teamwork and energy displayed. I believe the exercise went well, and I am very thankful to have a dedicated police presence willing to give valuable input,” said TaDren Kennedy, MPH, administrator, Walthall General Hospital.

The drills involved not only Forrest Health’s Public Safety officers, but also local law enforcement, firefighters, and observers from the Mississippi State Department of Health. These drills would not be possible without the help of local agencies. They provide valuable insights and make the simulations as realistic as possible.

“Active shooter drills are an important tool we use to increase the knowledge base for hospitals, or any facility, that may be at risk for a shooting. Working through current policies allows officials to evaluate their emergency plans and make adjustments as needed. We really want everyone to have a good plan in place,” said Sandra Mapp, an observer with the Mississippi State Department of Health.

“You can read the policy, but until you practice it, you don’t have a full clear understanding. We’ll have a discussion today about our initial reactions after the drill and then come back together to go over what we did well versus opportunities for improvement,” said Wayne Landers, director of Public Safety, Forrest Health.

For more information about the Forrest Health network, visit forresthealth.org.

CAPTION: Law enforcement making rounds during the active shooter drill at Marion General Hospital.

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